Chinese University Graduates Research Articles

Social Capital and Job Search in Urban China: The Strength-of-Strong-Ties Hypothesis Revisited

The Strength-of-Strong-Ties Hypothesis (SSTH) suggests that because of cultural and institutional factors, Chinese job seekers benefit more from their strong social ties than weak ones. However, the methodology used to support SSTH has not been subjected to robust empirical examination. Using data from job searches of 172 Chinese college graduates, we compared findings from the commonly used direct effects methodology, which examines the effect on income of the strength of a tie used to find a job, with the more robust social capital methodology, which examines the effect of network resources. We found that compared to the latter, the former overstates the effect of strong ties on getting a high-paying job and understates the effect of weak ties. We discuss methodological and substantive implications of our results for further study of social networks in China.

Space, agency and overseas employment for Chinese university graduates in a transient global labour market

This study examines the relatively recent growth of the international labour market, particularly in the service industry, for temporary employment of university graduates from China. By examining the push and pull factors from the home and destination country, we treat the international labour market as a geographic and institutional space which is created by the institutional actors and in which these actors interact. Through 56 interviews conducted with 38 informants, this study examines the actions and interactions of institutional actors at the local level to develop insights into how these actors shape the space of this segment of the labour market through, for example, the insertion into the global labour market chain, human resource sourcing, training and development. The paper concludes by arguing that the development of the international labour market for Chinese university graduates is contingent upon the agency role and attitude of key institutional actors. And its current situation indicates a fragmented and piecemeal development with limited government support, institutional capacity and individual motivation.

The Chinese Race to the Bottom: The Precarious Lives of Unemployed University Graduates in Beijing’s ‘Ant Tribe’

This article is based on ethnographic fieldwork carried out among what Lian Si (2009) has called China’s ‘ant tribe’, referring to the millions of unemployed Chinese college graduates who live in the outskirts of Beijing and to some extent share the predicament of China’s migrant workers. Education has been the main route to social mobility for centuries in China, but today college graduates are outnumbering jobs in China’s large cities. I focus on the relationship between the fantasy of education as a route to social mobility and the actuality. By narrating the biographies of two university graduates, Jing Jing and Bai Gang, who attempted but partly failed to transcend the boundary between rural and urban China, I show how their quests for social mobility and a more fulfilling life were tied to economic, legal and cultural constraints. I argue that the quest for a better life through educational migration may lead to physical mobility, but that existential mobility is lacking and this sometimes leads to instances of suicide, just as is the case for Chinese migrant workers who feel trapped in appalling working conditions.

Exploring the Interrelationship between Career Identity and English Learning for Chinese University Graduates: Narrative Cases

Exploring the Interrelationship between Career Identity and English Learning for Chinese University Graduates: Narrative Cases

Social Support, Social Comparison, and Career Adaptability: A Moderated Mediation Model

Our aim in this study was to identify the social factors that underpin the career adaptability of college graduates in China by examining the effects of social support and career self-efficacy on career adaptability among a sample of 879 Chinese college graduates. We also emphasized the moderating role of social comparison in influencing this relationship. The results showed that, (a) social support enhanced career adaptability, (b) career self-efficacy played a mediating role in the relationship between social support and career adaptability, and (c) social comparison orientation moderated the mediation model; specifically, a high social comparison orientation weakened the enhancing effect of social support on career self-efficacy and career adaptability. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Higher Education and Graduate Employment in China: Challenges for Sustainable Development

In the summer of 2013, the number of Chinese university graduates who did not know where to go after graduation reached an unprecedented 2 million. These graduates are not illegible to claim any benefits from social insurance schemes that based on formal employment. When away from home, neither do they have access to other supplementary benefits based on household registration status (hukou) financed and provided by the local governments of host cities. To address the issue of massive unemployment among graduates, the Chinese government has introduced a range of policy measures with an emphasis on ‘flexible employment’, an umbrella for several types of atypical jobs, while leaving the basic structure of social protection intact. This study reviews the development of the Chinese graduate employment policy with emphasis on the changes in the forefront of massive unemployment among graduates. By evaluating the effectiveness of policy measures, this study argues for a thorough reform of the higher education system.

Career-specific parental behaviors, career exploration and career adaptability: A three-wave investigation among Chinese undergraduates

The current research examined the effects of career-specific parental behaviors (reported by parents at time 1) on Chinese university students' career exploration (reported by students at time 2) and career adaptability (reported by students at time 3). A survey study was conducted among Chinese university graduates (N=244) and their parents (N=244). The results supported a mediation model such that a high level of parental support and a low level of parental interference had beneficial effects on Chinese undergraduates' career exploration, which in turn positively predicted their career adaptability. Lack of parental career engagement had a direct negative effect on career adaptability. Significant interaction effects were also found among these three types of parental behaviors such that at a lower level of lack of parental career engagement, the positive effects of parental support, as well as the negative effects of interference on career exploration were stronger. The corresponding moderated mediation models were also supported. These findings carry implications for research on career construction theory and career counseling practices.

A Rote Strategy in Memorizing Vocabulary for ESL Learners

The author devises a wordlist vocabulary learning method with detailed procedures, Cyclical Repetition Technique. A comparative experiment involving 50 Chinese ESL college students with pre-test, post-test 1 and post-test 2 was conducted to verify the technique. Compared to national survey data of average 3,000 English words for most Chinese college graduates, the research finding, 1,855.37 words acquired in 20 days and 90.79% retention rate in a delayed post-test 2 two months later, demonstrated that CRT helped experimental Chinese ESL college students memorize English vocabulary quickly, effectively and perpetually. This paper also reveals some facts of English education in China.

Campus Job Suppliers' Preferred Personality Traits of Chinese Graduates: A Grounded Theory Investigation

In this study we examined the preferred personality traits of Chinese university graduates from the perspective of job suppliers during the campus recruitment season. We collected data from 689 job specifications posted by companies on 3 well-known campus recruitment websites in China. We also introduced the concept of big data. The results, obtained using grounded theory, revealed that suppliers' desired personality characteristics include self-motivation, self-balance, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. These types of personality traits are helpful to increase undergraduates' chances of employment and improve their employability.

New job market entrants' future work self, career adaptability and job search outcomes: Examining mediating and moderating models

Based on career construction theory and the model of proactive motivation, the current research examined the mediating and moderating models for the relations among future work self, career adaptability, job search self-efficacy and employment status. A survey study was conducted among Chinese university graduates (N=270). The results showed that future work self (measured at wave 1) had positive effect on employment status (measured at wave 3), with this relationship partially mediated by career adaptability (measured at wave 1) and job search self-efficacy (measured at wave 2). In addition, the results further revealed that the positive effect of future work self on job search self-efficacy was stronger among the graduates who had a higher level of career adaptability. In support of the hypothesized moderated mediation model, for individuals with a higher level of career adaptability, the indirect effect of future work self on employment status through job search self-efficacy was stronger. These findings carry implications for research on job search behavior, career education and career counseling.

A Research on Index System for Measuring the Employment Quality of Chinese University Graduates

It is the foundation of assessing university graduates’ employment situation to establish an index system for measuring employment quality. This paper makes a brief introduction of China’s previous studies on university graduates’ employment quality, and attempts to give a definition of its content, so as to understand the employment situation, main characteristics, and development trends. Besides, the paper initially makes short-term and long-term index systems for measuring university students’ employment quality based on the objective of giving guidance to education and teaching. Furthermore, complete approaches to monitoring the quality of university students’ employment are put forward to guide the reform of higher education and improve Chinese students’ employment system.

A Probe into the Necessity of Personalized Employment Guidance in the Chinese Institutions of Higher Education

Owning to the economic recession, the Chinese college graduates are suffering greater pressure in finding jobs than before. For this reason, a research was carried out at Jiangxi Normal University to investigate the current employment situation of the Chinese college graduates. Data were collected by way of questionnaires, interviews and symposiums. SPSS17.0 software was used as the tool to analyze the collected data. Data analysis shows that only a few of the college graduates interviewed were optimistic about their job prospects and anxiety prevailed. Therefore, personalized employment guidance, which has the advantage of taking into consideration the specific needs of each student, is recommended as an effective way of facilitating employment in the Chinese institutions of higher education.

Career adaptability, job search self-efficacy and outcomes: A three-wave investigation among Chinese university graduates

Based on career construction theory, the current research examined the role of career adaptability in Chinese university graduates' job search process (N=270). Results from a three-wave survey study showed that the four dimension of career adaptability (measured at wave 1) correlated positively with university graduates' job search self-efficacy (measured at wave 2) and their employment status (measured at wave 3). Among graduates who became employed, career adaptability dimensions also predicted positively their person–environment (P–E) fit perceptions (measured at wave 3). The results further showed that with the effects of demographics (gender, age, education level and major) and family background (family economical status and parental education) controlled for, when putting the four dimensions of career adaptability together, career concern and career control served as the strongest predictors for job search self-efficacy, which further mediated the positive effects of these two dimensions on employment status. In addition, career control also had indirect effect on P–E fit through the mediation of job search self-efficacy. Additional analyses using the global indicator of career adaptability also supported this mediation model such that career adaptability significantly predicted employment status and P–E fit, with these relations mediated by job search self-efficacy. These findings carry implications for research on career construction theory, as well as career education and career counseling practices.

Connotation Construction of Training Process Promoting Excellent Engineers Training Quality

It is an important try of the Chinese higher education reform that the Ministry of Education put the Excellent Engineer Education Training Plan (EEETP) into practice in order to improve the comprehensive ability level of Chinese higher university graduates, which can integrate the graduates into actual industrial production process as soon as possible in some colleges and universities. In the implementation of the excellent engineers training, Nanjing Institute of Technology (NJIT) concentrates their effort on the modularized teaching and the project-faced teaching, and on the construction of the productive training process, establishes the evaluation system of teaching process, and emphasizes the training quality assessment of the academic and practical courses so that quasi-excellent engineer students enable them to improve their training quality, and obtain a better learning effect.

Does having a cadre parent pay? Evidence from the first job offers of Chinese college graduates

We estimate the wage premium associated with having a cadre parent in China using a recent survey of college graduates carried out by the authors. The wage premium of having a cadre parent is 15%, and this premium cannot be explained by other observables such as college entrance exam scores, quality of colleges and majors, a full set of college human capital attributes, and job characteristics. These results suggest that the remaining premium could be the true wage premium of having a cadre parent.

The politics of viewing ecocinema in China: Reflections on audience studies and transnational ecocinema

Media and communications scholars frequently publish work on audience interpretations of ecological media. These range from the ways the media frames ecological issues to the socio-political role the media plays in influencing popular opinion on environmental issues. Film criticism is not that much different from other media analyses in its focus on ideological bias and the hypothetical impact of the texts. Considering the emphasis ecocinema scholars place on the socio-political role of cinema, it is surprising that audiences are still a largely neglected focus of study in the field. This article investigates some potential avenues academic studies of audiences of ecocinema may take. We focus on the ways audiences use ecocinema to generate diverse meanings as we switch from spectator studies to studies of audiences, where we not only explore the ways audience perspectives correlate or challenge the hypothetical perspectives suggested by media critics/academics, but also focus on the plurality of reading positions and the challenges they provide for making sense of the uses of ecocinema. The challenge to homogenized or theorized reading publics is made more explicit once we take into account the major role cultural specificity plays in audience responses. It is here that transnational considerations help us diversify the range of analysis and offer new perspectives on the socio-political implications of ecocinema. To these ends, I focus on the ways individuals from China (Chinese university students and graduates in the white-collar industries, both groups who identify themselves as part of China's new emerging middle class) encounter and negotiate the transnational dimensions of ecocinema both with domestically produced films and imported productions.

Earnings expectation and graduate employment: Evidence from recent Chinese college graduates

Chinese college graduates have faced increasing labor market competition since the expansion of tertiary education. Given rigid market demand, graduates with realistic earnings expectations may experience a more efficient job search. Using the 2008 MYCOS College Graduate Employment Survey, this study finds that a 1 000 yuan reduction in a graduate’s reservation wage can significantly increase the probability of finding a job by 66% and increase the likelihood of being employed six months after graduation by 92%. In addition, the gap between the reservation wage and the market wage has a positive impact. By slightly adjusting earnings expectations, college graduates can significantly improve job search efficiency. Market wages should be seen as reference points when adjusting income expectations.

Does Having a Cadre Parent Pay? Evidence from the First Job Offers of Chinese College Graduates

We estimate the wage premium associated with having a cadre parent in China using a recent survey of college graduates carried out by the authors. The wage premium of having a cadre parent is 15 percent, and this premium cannot be explained by other observables such as college entrance exam scores, quality of colleges and majors, a full set of college human capital attributes, and job characteristics. These results suggest that the remaining premium could be the true wage premium of having a cadre parent.

Inducements, contributions, and fulfillment in new employee psychological contracts

AbstractThis longitudinal study of newly hired Chinese college graduates (N = 143) investigates the effects of contract fulfillment, employee reports of company inducements (organizational support and job rewards), and supervisory reports of individual contributions (job performance and extra‐role citizenship behavior) upon changes in the graduates' psychological contracts. Three survey waves were administered a year apart, starting with the recruits' job offer acceptance. Analyses revealed that employee fulfillment and perceived contributions predicted particular changes in employer psychological contract obligations, whereas employer fulfillment and perceived inducements predicted changes in employee obligations. The effects of inducements on employee obligation changes and contributions on employer obligation changes were mediated by their respective fulfillment measures. Changes in obligations were greater in the first year of employment than in the second. This study yields implications for managing newcomers and researching the initial phase of employment. ©2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Changing Work Lives of Academics: The Experience of a Regional University in the Chinese Mainland

In an attempt to raise China's international competitiveness, the government instituted a series of sweeping reforms to expand rapidly the number of higher education places. Rapid growth, however, gave rise to a new set of problems, namely, a scarcity of resources, poor educational quality and underemployment of Chinese university graduates. In order to tackle the problems caused by rapid expansion in higher education, a number of measures were introduced, all influencing the work of academics. Based on the observations of our study, we can see a clear trend of deprofessionalization due to increasing state supervision. Because of the widespread scarcity of resources, academics found themselves taking on the additional role of academic capitalist, in order to increase their incomes and accumulate academic capital. However, in the specific context of China, guanxi still served as a significant factor for academics in retaining their academic status. New measures should be introduced in order to alleviate the great impact of guanxi.